Review: HDHomeRun

About 2 years ago, I replaced our TiVo with a Mac Mini with 2 Elgato EyeTV 250 Plus HD tuners. The system has worked pretty well, but occasionally I had to reset the boxes (they were connected via USB and each had a power supply) and that caused some shows to not record. I tried to alleviate the problem by scripting the EyeTV software to quit and restart each day. In addition, I tried using a Sophosticated Circuits PowerKey to toggle the power supplies on and off, but that didn't work well either. The PowerKey software was basically abandoned several years ago and kept crashing. In addition, it didn't helped. I tolerated it up until recently and finally decided to look for alternatives. To make matters worse, the Signal Strength meter on EyeTV never registered over 30% despite me getting a coax amplifier (the tuners worked worse without the amplifier).

I had read about the SiliconDust HDHomeRun dual tuner device. My hesitation with the device was that it only handled HD channels; however, I realized that we've pretty much only watched HD channels in the last 2 years.

I bought the HD HomeRun to give it a try as it was fairly inexpensive. Hooking it up was easy and setup wasn't difficult either. Plugged it in, connected the coax and the Ethernet cable. Silicon Dust shipped the software on a mini CD which, of course, wouldn't work on my Mac or any Mac I've had in the last 10 years. I downloaded the software from the web and did the basic configuration; the software was pretty basic and awful looking, but good enough to get the job done and I'd never have to see it again. The box has been working flawlessly and even better, I was able to disconnect the coax amplifier and still get a very clear picture. This also let me go from 3 power bricks to 1 power brick.

The only downside to the box and not really a flaw in the box itself is that I went from using the EyeTV remote with over 50 separate buttons to using an Apple remote with far fewer controls. (I programmed my Logitech Harmony 880 remote for the commands I needed.) This means that I lost some of the skip features and a few other functions; however, it's working pretty well.

Pros

• Inexpensive.
• Easy to setup.
• Good picture quality.
• Reliable.

Cons

• Is not a standalone device; requires a computer to view TV or record.

Summary

The HD HomeRun was a very nice replacement for the EyeTV 250 Plus devices. If I was looking to setup a Mac Mini again, I would have gone with the box as it was significantly cheaper ($100 vs $320 for the 2 EyeTV 250 Plus boxes). I'm very pleased with my purchase and would definitely recommend it to anyone setting up a DVR. I'm still not ready to drop regular TV (we still have basic cable as I haven't made the leap to an antenna), so this is a great solution to keep us loaded up with content.

The need for unlimited data

When I signed up for AT&T last June to get the iPhone 4, the only options I had for data were 200 MB or 2 GB; unlimited data was discontinued before I signed up. I opted for 2 GB to give me some room, in case I needed it. Up until now, I've used at most 250 MB per month. Since I work at home and mostly use Wi-Fi, I use most data on Wi-Fi. Furthermore, when I'm out, I don't stream video or do anything that is high bandwidth. This month, I went on vacation (first real vacation in 5.5 years) and had no Wi-Fi coverage for the entire 5 day trip. My wife and I used the phone to find stuff to do, as well as for some Twitter checking, RSS feed reading, and email. It looks like I'll use maybe 800 MB of my 2 GB allocation. So even with my high (for me) usage, I didn't even use half of my allocation.

For many people, 2 GB of data is more than enough. If someone commuted on a bus or train and streamed music or video, they might use more data. So for social networking, web browsing and email 2 GB works and unlimited is just a marketing gimmick (at least it is for Sprint now). Of course, everyone's usage varies, but for me, unlimited doesn't mean anything to me. I suspect that when I add my wife to my account, 2 GB will be enough for her, as well.

To iPhone 4S or not to iPhone 4S

When the iPhone 4S was announced, it seemed like a minor upgrade, I immediately wanted to get one. I like shiny toys and needed justification to get one. Luckily my wife has been bugging me about getting an iPhone and she said that she'd be more than happy with an iPhone 4. So, I'll get the shiny new gadget and pass down my iPhone 4 to my wife.

We ordered the iPhone 4S last week and in 3-4 weeks, it will arrive. Then the fun begins. I have to swap the SIM so that I get the iPhone 4S working on my number, port my wife's number over to the new line, and then combine the lines into a FamilyTalk plan. This is almost a recipe for disaster; knowing that this wasn't going to be straight forward, we ordered the phone at an AT&T corporate store (turns out our flight home from vacation was delayed, so we stopped in at the large mall on Maui and went to the only AT&T store on the island). I just hope this doesn't get screwed up; crossing my fingers.

Review: tiltpod "tripod"

Just about every time I've gone on vacation, someone is missing from the pictures we take. Self timers are great, but you have to put the camera some place stable and that typically requires carrying a tripod. Small tripods such as the Joby Gorillapod are great, but I don't always remember to take mine with me. I saw the tiltpod and just had to give it a try. It's an interesting product that always gives a stable base to set a camera. I took it on my recent vacation and was able to take a few pictures using it; it was always attached to the camera, so using it wasn't a problem. Unfortunately most of the pictures I took were out of focus and difficult to set up. As the tiltpod makes the camera sit on a flat surface (or so), it's kind of hard to put my head behind it. I think part of the problem may be that I need to read up on some of the auto focus settings on my camera, so I'll have to play around with them and see if I can get better at taking pictures.

The tiltpod is quite simple in that it is a magnetic base with a numb that screws into the camera. I really like the concept and had high hopes for it. I'm going to keep the base hooked onto the strap and use it every once in awhile; if I can get the auto focus working better, then the tiltpod will be immensely useful. As of now, it is kind of an interesting product, but has limited utility for me.

Pros

• Easy to use.
• Convenient.
• Stable.

Cons

• Hard to put head behind camera when on flat surface.
• Potentially limited utility.

Summary

The tiltpod does everything it purports to do and does it well. While not a flaw in the product itself, putting a digital camera on a flat surface makes it almost impossible to put your head behind it if set on a rock, or something else that you can't crouch behind. I did find it convenient when I set it on a metal chair and was able to easily get behind it.

The tiltpod is not that expensive and if you understand the limitations, I'd recommend getting it. If you expect it to completely replace a tripod, then you'll be very disappointed with this.